Share the love

First Impression: A fabulous little picture book written in rhymes with helpful footnotes to expand young minds.

Tully The Tadpole (Who Never Became A Toad) book cover

I am blessed to have been granted a free copy of this published work. In exchange what follows is my honest review of an already highly rated book.

Tully The Tadpole (Who Never Became A Toad) is written by A.M. Ruggirello and beautifully illustrated with full page pictures by Alexis Madau. Written in rhyme, it has a nice sing-song flow to it that keeps a steady pace. This technique also makes it easy for younger children to memorize the words and join in having read the story time and time again. The supporting illustrations match the words perfectly albeit with a very small, yet respectable color palette.

The story is inspired by a tadpole named Goliath that was far bigger than other American Bullfrog tadpoles. It was thought that owing to its size, Goliath would not change into a frog in the usual way, if at all. As a result, Tully The Tadpole (Who Never Became A Toad) was born. The grains of truth wrapped up in this story make it extra special and provide a subject for discussion particularly for the older members of the audience. Speaking of discussion, this book provides several talking points in several ways. As discussed, there is the non-fiction element. Additionally, there are footnotes that describe points that may not be readily understood by young children, i.e., what is a dorsal fin. Then there is the series of questions at the back of the book that check for comprehension as well as work to aid kids develop their own thought processes.

I liked the sense of inclusivity as it felt quite natural. Tully was neither male nor female, instead refer to ambiguously as they and their.

The story itself talked of a tadpole watching their friends grow up and leave the pond to explore land. Although they would come back to visit the pond daily, it was not the same for Tully who had to spend nighttime alone, which made them feel lonely. In time, they realized they were never going to be able to leave the confines of the pond, but it was fine, because they had embraced the idea of being exactly who they were. This is a wonderful book to grow up with. It works well as a bedtime story or a book for early readers. The educational element is just a welcome bonus. Boys and girls alike will likely love this tale and parents might call on it to help their little ones understand their uniqueness. This G-Rated book couldn’t be any higher in my esteem and, therefore, gets a well-earned 5 out of 5 stars.

Quick Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / G Rated

Have your say: Do you value picture books that have a moral to the story? The Papergirl Community looks forward to reading your responses in the comments below.

Disclaimer: Clicking on links may direct you to Papergirl branded products, or Papergirl endorsed items for which there is an affiliation. It will not affect your purchases or prices in any way, but it may mean that Papergirl earns a small commission from any successful sales.

Wondering what to review next, consider: